Wikimedia’s gender trouble is well documented. While the reasons for the gender gap are up for debate, the practical effect of this disparity, however, is not. Content is skewed by the lack of female participation. This represents an alarming absence in an increasingly important repository of shared knowledge.

No Wikipedia editing experience necessary.
Workshops will be provided for Wikipedia newcomers.
Female-identified editors are particularly encouraged to attend.
This is a feminist event.

Art+Feminism is a rhizomatic campaign to improve coverage of women and the arts on Wikipedia and to encourage female editorship. Wikipedia's gender trouble is well documented. In a 2011 survey, Wikimedia found that less than 13% of its contributors are female. The reasons for the gender gap are up for debate: suggestions include leisure inequality, how gender socialization shapes public comportment, and the contentious nature of Wikipedia's talk pages. The practical effect of this disparity, however, is not. Content is skewed by the lack of female participation. Many articles on notable women in history and art are absent on Wikipedia. We invite people of all gender identities and expressions, particularly trans- and cis-gendered women, to address this absence by organizing in-person, communal updating of Wikipedia’s entries on art and feminism.

Vancouver will be hosting a third annual edit-a-thon at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery on the University of British Columbia campus. Childcare will be provided free of charge by reservation. We are committed to creating a safe space for all participants.

This event is organized by Christine D'Onofrio, with support from the Helen and Morris Belkin Art Gallery, Wikimedia Foundation and through the Art+Feminism platform.